How do you market on the Internet?
DD: I use a variety of methods, primarily e-mail marketing, to pre-qualify leads. This has proven to be by far the most effective type of marketing.
CF: There are many sources that I use. I buy my leads from ProStep, Leaders Club, and ProfitLeads. I also do double opt-in e-mails, ad swaps, and e-zines. Without traffic or leads, your business doesn’t exist.
MG: I do not market on the Internet. I use something called word-of-mouth and person-to-person contact. This is by far the most powerful advertising tool on the planet.
FK: I primarily use opt-in e-mail marketing to generate traffic to my Websites. These visitors either buy, join my e-zine, or leave without taking action. I use direct-response copywriting to influence people to become customers. If they join my e-zine, I use autoresponders to follow up with them and establish a relationship, so they'll eventually become customers. If they leave without taking action, I use pop-up windows to make additional offers, usually for a free item in exchange for an e-mail address and permission to keep in touch. I also use joint ventures to create profitable alliances with other companies and marketers.
MR: We contact a client first via the Internet. Then we send a follow-up e-mail note with our firm’s Website link (instead of a brochure).
JZ: Affiliate marketing and my own database.
 
Do you recommend using a toll-free number in advertising?
DD: I think this issue has good arguments for and against it. I fall in the "for" side and recommend using a toll-free number for both contacting me directly or via voicemail and to provide voice-on-demand information to prospects. I love voice-on-demand, because I can get a lot of information to the prospect, which helps qualify them. This saves me time explaining the same things to each caller.
CF: No, I only want serious people calling me. If a person is not willing to spend a few cents to make calls, they are not serious at all.
MG: A toll-free number in advertising would be useful if it was for the selling of a product, but as far as the business is concerned, encouraging someone to call for free would probably not work. When pursuing your own business, you must realize that you must spend some money.
FK: This depends. If I were selling a high-ticket item, and the customer needed to have personal contact by telephone in order to feel comfortable, then yes. You could also use it to let people hear pre-recorded information and then ask for a response. This really depends on your business. I personally don't use one.
JZ: Yes. It will increase your ad response by a small percentage.

What are some of the advantages to working at home? What are some of the disadvantages?
DD: I’m a family man. Being home to send the kids off to school and then greet them as they walk through the door every day means everything to me. The other side of the coin is with six kids all coming in from school at 3 p.m. every day, it’s often a challenge to stay on task.
CF: The advantages are working at your own pace and being your own boss. There are only a few disadvantages, such as staying home all the time. This can become quit lonely, but it’s worth it.
MG: Advantages: not having to drive to work, saving time on the road, and not dealing with the wear and tear on your vehicle. Also, downtime between customers and distributors can be spent doing things you enjoy, getting some sun, watching a movie, mowing the lawn, or spending time with your family. The downside: having so much fun that you forget about work. This is how most work-from-home businesses fail. You must develop the discipline to work when you need to work and identify needed downtime. When you’re not used to working from home, you must identify the skills you need to keep your business functioning. Always ask, "Would my employer allow me to do this?" If the answer is no, you shouldn't do it.
FK: The advantages are that you don't have to get up early and commute to an office, you can work in your bathrobe, and you can be with your family more. The main disadvantage is that it's easy to become totally obsessed with what you're doing and, therefore, end up working all the time.
MR: Many people feel that a major disadvantage is that it’s more difficult to set aside time for personal activities while working at home. I don’t have this problem. I see many more advantages, such as lower expenses (no office rent), a flexible lifestyle, and home-office business write-offs and other tax advantages.
JZ: Being able to be totally relaxed and see my wife and family whenever I want. No one is looking over my shoulder. There's no office rent to pay. There are no disadvantages, unless you don’t have the discipline to go to work and stay at work as needed.